Caladium plant named ‘Summer Rose’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of  Caladium  plant named ‘Summer Rose’, characterized by its very large heart shaped leaves, bright rose color, and demonstrated potential to produce large plants with huge leaves when grown in outdoor landscapes and attractive plants when forced in pots.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘Summer Rose’ was a seedling initially evaluated in 2001 as GC607originating from the cross-pollination of the Caladium×hortulanumcultivar ‘Aaron’ with the seedling GCREC-S25 (an unnamed breeding linefrom our breeding program) made in a greenhouse in Bradenton, Fla.GCREC-S25 was from across of ‘Fire Chief’×‘Torchy’. Aaron is a white,fancy, and heart-shaped leaf caladium cultivar selected for its largeleaves and plant vigor. ‘Fire Chief’ and ‘Torchy’ were selected fortheir vivid red veins and interveinal areas. GCREC-S25 was selected forits vigor and bright color. Ancestry of ‘Aaron’, ‘Fire Chief’ and‘Torchy’ are unknown. Asexual propagation by tuber division was done inBradenton, Fla. and Dover, Fla. Evaluation in field and pot studiessince 2001 have shown that the unique features of this new Caladiumplant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generationsof asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Caladium has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in theenvironment such as light intensity and temperature, without, however,any variance in genotype.

Caladiums are utilized in the ornamental industry as potted plants andlandscape plants. They have a diversity of leaf colors that arise fromred, pink, and white pigments displayed in solid, spot, and/or blotchpatterns in interveinal areas. Veins and leaf margins may be colored orgreen adding to the diversity of patterns. For plants to be successfulin the landscape, they must be vigorous, brightly colored, and havelarge leaves (unless used for border plants such as is the case forstrap or lance leaved cultivars). When forced in containers to be usedas an ornamental potted plant, shorter plants with many leaves thatemerge quickly are desirable traits. The new caladium plant, ‘SummerRose’, has a distinct rose color in the leaf center (venation andinterveinal areas) surrounded by a green margin speckled with white.It's predominantly rose colored leaves make it very different from‘Aaron’, the female parent, which has white leaves. It is different incolor from ‘GCREC-S25’, the male parent, which has red leaves. ‘SummerRose’ has performed well when forced in pots, and in landscape settingsin a number of trials showing the height, leaf size, and vigor necessaryfor landscape use. Tuber production, a necessary consideration forcommercialization of a cultivar by the caladium tuber producingindustry, has been excellent with tubers produced in the ideal sizes asdescribed in the description section.

BRIEF DESCRIPTON OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description, which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Caladium.

The photograph, labeled FIG. 1, illustrates the overall appearance ofthe new cultivar, Summer Rose. The photograph is a side perspective viewof a typical plant of ‘Summer Rose’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new variety with colorterminology in accordance with British Color Council and The RoyalHorticultural Society, Horticultural Colour Chart, except where generalcolor terns of ordinary dictionary significance are obvious. Whereindimensions, sizes, and other characteristics are given, it is to beunderstood that such characteristics are approximations of averages setforth as accurately as practicable. The description herein is from 4month old specimens grown in Bradenton, Fla., in 2003–2005. Plants usedfor describing color were grown in 15 cm containers in a 40% shadedgreenhouse from Jumbo (6.4 to 8.9 cm diameter) de-eyed tubers.

-   Botanical classification: Caladium×hortulanum cultivar Summer Rose.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By tuber division.        -   Time to develop roots and sprout.—42 days (Spring −15° C.            night to 29° C. day). 18 days (Summer −21° C. night to            35° C. day).        -   Root description.—Dense, moderately thick roots (up to 2.5            mm at the basal end) with little branching and few lateral            roots.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant shape.—Upright, symmetrical.        -   Plant height.—About 52 cm from top of soil to top of leaf            plane 4 months from planting tubers in ground beds in full            sun.        -   Leaf blade.—Leaves are peltate, sagitate-cordate, with            palmate-pinnate venation 29–33 cm long and 19–23 cm wide.            The center veins are red-purple (RHS 61A). The upper surface            has a dark green (RHS 137A) irregular margin, 3–9 mm wide,            bordering the entire leaf except for the basal leaf sinus            where it is grayed-purple (RHS 185A). Interveinal areas in            the center of the leaf are red-purple (RHS 60D) but this is            bordered by a green-white (RHS 157D) speckling on a green            background (RHS 147A). The undersurface is predominantly a            grayed-purple (RHS 186B) with very little of the upper leaf            color pattern showing through. The margin is green (138A).        -   Petiole.—Petioles are 3–4 mm and are a red-purple at the            leaf attachment and gradually darken to a brown (2000A) at            the petiole base.        -   Tuber.—Tubers are multi-segmented; a tuber 6.4–8.9 cm in            diameter will typically bear 3–4 dominant buds. Tuber            surfaces are brown (RHS 200B–C) with the cortical area very            light yellow (RHS 4D center to 8D edge).        -   Inflorescence.—The flowering and reproductive organs do not            differ in character from other caladium plants.-   Performance: ‘Summer Rose’= was evaluated for tuber production and    plant performance at the Gulf Coast REC — Bradenton, Fla. during    2003 and at Dover, Fla. in 2004. The soil was an EauGallie fine sand    with about 1% organic matter and a pH of 6.2. Plants were grown in a    plastic-mulched raised-bed system maintaining a constant water table    with seep irrigation. The beds were 91 cm wide and 20 cm high with    2.54 cm caladium seed pieces planted 15 cm apart in 3 rows    (Bradenton) or 2 rows (Dover) also spaced 15 cm apart. Osmocote    18N-2.6P-10K 8–9 month controlled release fertilizer was applied to    the bed surface when shoot tips were emerging from the soil with N    at 336 kgXha^(−1.)

Plots were organized in a randomized complete block design consisting ofthree replications. For tuber production, each plot was 1.2 m² andcontained 30 propagules. An analysis of variance was conducted in orderto compare the performance of >Summer Rose= to its parents and otherimportant other commercially important white fancy-leaf cultivars. Forplant performance in the landscape, three plants were measured in thecenter of each plot and plant height, leaf number, and leaf size weremeasured mid-summer. Since year did not significantly influence plantperformance, the data was averaged over the 2 years.

‘Candidum’ is ranked as one of the best cultivars for tuber productionand tuber producers consider it very profitable to grow because ityields so well. ‘Summer Rose’ tuber production was excellent with tuberweights nearly 1.3 and 1.6 times higher than ‘Candidum’ in 2003 and2004, respectively (Table 3). Its production index (an economicindicator of crop value) was also greater than ‘Candidum’ in both years(1.3 or 1.4 times greater). Similarly, ‘Summer Rose’ had higher yieldsthan ‘Rosebud’ as seen in tuber weight (1.3 and 1.8 times higher) andproduction index (1.2 and 1.3 time higher) measurements. Although thesame number (30) of seed pieces were planted per plot, more than 30tubers were harvested. This occurs since several sprouts may emerge perseed piece and result in more than one tuber developing per planted seedpiece, and also because tubers can break apart during harvest. If tubersare marketable, these factors can increase profitability. Although‘Summer Rose’ did not have the greatest number of marketable tubers, ithad 40 tubers per plot and had similar or more tubers than othercultivars tested. There were also a greater percentage of tubers in themammoth and jumbo grades compared to ‘Rosebud’ and ‘Carolyn Whorton’,and these grades have the high market value.

Landscape performance of cultivars grown under full-sun conditions wasevaluated in 2003 and 2004 on the same plots used for evaluating tuberproduction. Plant height, number of leaves, and foliar characteristicswere recorded approximately 4 months after planting (Table 1). ‘SummerRose’ was taller with larger leaves than ‘Rosebud’ but similar in heightand leaf size to ‘Candidum’ and ‘Carolyn Whorton’. It had excellentperformance ratings all through the growing season.

‘Summer Rose’ tubers were forced in 10-cm containers and its growthcompared to three pink-fancy commercial cultivars. No. 1 tubers wereplanted in a peat/vermiculite mix on Jun. 24, 2002. The study wasconducted in a glasshouse with 50% light exclusion during the summer inBradenton, Fla. Average daily temperatures ranged from a low of 21° C.night to 29° C. day during the experiment. Plant height, number ofleaves, and foliar characteristics were recorded 7 weeks after planting.

Plant performance of ‘Summer Rose’ in containers was similar to theother cultivars tested. Noticeable differences included that the numberof days-to-sprout was less for ‘Summer Rose’ than ‘Rosebud’ for de-eyedtubers, and plant height for de-eyed ‘Summer Rose’ was greater than‘Rosebud’. Since ‘Rosebud’ is known as an excellent pot plant, theseresults indicate ‘Summer Rose’ also has potential for use as apotted/container plant.

TABLE 1 Plant performance approximately 4 months from planting 2.54 cmtuber propagules in ground beds in full sun in 2003 and 2004. Valuespresented are means of three replications with three plants measured perplot per year, averaged over 2 years. Plant Leaf Overall height lengthwidth performance rating^(z) Cultivar (cm) number (cm) (cm) Early MidLate Candidum 46 13 28 18 3.3 3.7 3.5 Carolyn 48 16 33 22 3.0 4.6 4.5Whorton Rosebud 42 20 23 16 2.5 3.2 2.0 Summer Rose 52 17 31 21 4.5 4.54.5 LSD 8.2 5.3 2.2 1.7 1.0 0.7 0.1 (α = 0.05) ^(z)Overall plantperformance was rated Jul. 22 (early), Aug. 31 (mid), and Nov. 16(late), 2004.

TABLE 2 Plant performance for caladium cultivars grown in 10-cmcontainers in a 25% shaded glasshouse, 2005, Bradenton Florida. Valuesrepresent the means of eight plants produced from intact (I) or de-eyed(D) No. 1 tubers (3.8 to 6.4 cm in diameter) planted individually percontainer. Sprout Plant ht Leaf Leaf length Leaf width (days)^(z) (cm)(no.) (cm) (cm) Cultivar I D I D I D I D I D Calypso 14 13 39 40 11 1925 20 18 14 Carolyn Whorton 20 18 43 41 10 14 27 21 18 14 Rosebud 20 2338 32 12 19 24 17 13 13 Summer Rose 18 17 36 39  9 22 25 21 19 16 LSD (α= 0.05) 4.5 4.4 ns 4.5 ns ns ns ns ns ns ^(z)Number of days fromplanting to the first unfurled leaf.

TABLE 3 Caladium tuber characteristics from cultivars harvested in 2003and 2004. Values presented are means of three replications with 30propagules per 1.2-m2 plot per year. Tuber Market- able Tuberdistribution^(z) (%) Weight (num- Super Jum- (g) P.I.^(y) ber) mam Mambo No. 1 No. 2 Year 2003 Candidum 2784 98 33 1 12 30 43 14 Carolyn 2879101 39 0 9 28 40 24 Whorton Rosebud 2632 109 45 0 4 24 45 27 Summer 3519126 40 0 8 47 40 5 Rose LSD 306 25 13 2 13 19 26 17 (α = 0.05) Year 2004Candidum 2860 96 35 2 6 27 54 12 Carolyn 4268 132 53 0 9 20 45 26Whorton Rosebud 2553 102 49 0 2 18 47 33 Summer 4597 132 40 0 15 42 3212 Rose LSD 531 15 9 2 9 16 21 14 (α = 0.05) ^(z)Tubers graded bymaximum diameter; No. 2 (2.5-3.8 cm), No. 1 (3.8-6.4 cm), Jumbo (6.4-8.9cm), Mammoth (mam = 8.9-11.4 cm), and Super Mammoth (super mam = >11.4cm). ^(y)The production index (PI) is an indicator of economic value ofharvested tubers calculated as: N (No. 2s) + 2N (No. 1s) + 4N (Jumbos) +6N (Mammoth) + 8N (Super Mammoth); where N = number of tubers in eachgrade.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Caladium plant named ‘Summer Rose’, asillustated and described.